50,000 TV viewers in Ireland switch to digital in latter half of September – research

An estimated 50,000 households in Ireland reliant on the analogue TV signal made the switch to digital in the last two weeks of September, leaving about 100,000 households left to make the switch at the end of that month, the latest Millward Brown Lansdowne tracking study on the Digital TV Switchover suggests.

Awareness of the digital switchover among those reliant on the analogue service continues to increase and now stands at 99pc. Date awareness has also increased by 2pc to 94pc.

Digital switchover help

Guidance on the digital switchover is available at online, through LoCall 1890 940 980 (English language) and 1890 940 970 (Irish language).

On Wednesday, 24 October, the analogue signal will be switched off, thus opening up space for more mobile and broadband services.

“Today’s research figures confirm that momentum is building as we approach the end of the switchover process,” said Ireland’s Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte.

“National Digital Switchover Week, which we ran in the third week of September, appears to have contributed significantly to the particularly strong switchover figures revealed in this latest piece of research.

“Nevertheless, now is not a time for complacency – I would urge those viewers, who have yet to make the switch, to do so now and not to wait until the last minute. With just 14 days to go, I would ask the public to give a helping hand to friends, relatives and neighbours who may need assistance with the switch to ensure they are not without a TV signal from Wednesday, 24 October.”

TV viewers who can currently see ‘X 24 October’ in the corner of their TV screens are using the analogue TV system and need to switch to digital before 24 October.

These viewers have two options, depending on the range of services or channels they require. They can get Saorview by purchasing a set-top box or a Saorview-approved TV set, or they can go to a Pay TV provider, such as Sky or UPC.